Is organic coffee worth it?

I don’t know about you, but I love a good cup of coffee in the morning. If you follow me on Instagram and watch my stories, you know I make myself a latte every day. One thing I haven’t talked about is organic coffee and if it matters.

Conventional Coffee vs. Organic Coffee

In my research for this post, I discovered over 12 billion pounds of coffee are produced each year. That’s a lot of coffee!

Over time, farming practices have evolved to maximize production. In order to meet the high demand, farmers use synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides to grow conventional coffee. They know they need to produce as much as possible as quickly as possible without sacrificing any of their yield. 

On the other hand, organic coffee grows without the use of synthetic fertilizers or chemicals. That means those chemicals are not making their way to your cup of joe each day. 

K-Cups and Keurig Coffee Makers

Full disclosure: I have a Keurig coffee maker in my apartment. And this is not meant to bash those oh-so-convenient machines. But while we’re on the subject of coffee, I thought K-Cups are worth mentioning.

I am the first to admit that I don’t often make decisions for environmental reasons (my dad, an environmental engineer, can back me up on that!). But there is a lot of buzz (get it?) about how K-Cups are causing too much waste and causing a large environmental problem. I hope if that interests you, you’ll do some research into the topic. 

I do, however, make decisions based on my health, and the more I read about plastics, the less inclined I am to use my Keurig coffee maker. Although lots of companies have confirmed their cups are BPA-free, not all have, and heating the plastic housing is not ideal. Plastics are known endocrine disruptors that may contribute to hormone issues and imbalance. Right now that’s just not a risk I want to take so I’ve stopped using my Keurig coffee maker. 

What can you do?

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know I follow an 80/20 rule of sorts. So for me, when I’m making coffee at home, I buy organic beans. I have control over that purchase and I know, for the most part, I’m consuming my coffee on a daily basis in my own home. I started using my Bodum French press each day and have really started to love the ritual of making coffee. When I go out to get coffee, I know a few local spots that use organic beans and try to go there when I can. When I’m at someone else’s home or traveling, I am not as picky. 

As always, I want to use my blog to provide some insight so you can make informed decisions at the grocery store or coffee shop. Do you already buy organic coffee? If not, is it something you’re considering?

Organic coffee recommendations

Here are some of my current favorites:

• If you’re local to the DC area, you can buy the Mom’s Organic Market coffee beans which are my new favorite. They have several roasts and the prices are super reasonable! 
• Counterculture Coffee  — Love, love, love these guys but it’s on the higher end in terms of price. Great quality. 
• Slingshot Coffee — In case you love cold brew.
• Allegro Coffee — You can find this at Whole Foods. 
• And, Mountain Thunder, my dad’s personal favorite is delicious but pricey. Worth trying for sure; it’s 100% Kona Coffee! Look for the organic beans, not all of their coffee is organic.

You can also find other options in your local store; just look for the USDA Organic seal. 

References:

• The Equal Exchange – Organic vs. Conventional Coffee
• Food and Cooking Guide – Organic Coffee
• One Green Planet – Organic Coffee
• Healthy Organic Woman
• Women’s Health Mag – Dangers of K-Cups